Store clerk shoots, kills robbery suspect

Police treating incident as self-defense

BY MIKE SIGOV
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Facebook Twitter Reddit Digg E-mail Print Rss

Toledo police secure the area in front of the Express Carryout, 1920 Mulberry St. Lamar Allen of Toledo was shot and killed Monday morning. A second man fled the scene. THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY Enlarge | Photo Reprints

When Lamar Allen and another man entered a North Toledo carryout Monday and allegedly threatened a clerk with firearms and allegedly began emptying the register of cash, the clerk was ready for them.

Allen, 25, whose last known address is 1029 Bronson Ave., was killed by the clerk about 9:45 a.m. at the Express Carryout, 1920 Mulberry St., in an exchange of gunfire.

Shot more than once, he collapsed by the counter. The man with him fled. The clerk, whose name was not released, was uninjured but shaken, Toledo police said.

“There is always a gun in the store behind the counter, a 9mm we keep for protection,” store owner Mamoun Awwad said.

“We feel good that our employee had something to defend himself with, because it could’ve happened the other way around. He was very lucky. They shot at [the clerk] a lot.”

Police did not say who shot first, citing an ongoing investigation. They are treating the incident as self-defense, Toledo police Sgt. Joe Heffernan said. They have questioned the clerk, and he is not in custody, he added.

Mr. Awwad said the clerk, who is 27, called Mr. Awwad’s brother soon after the store opened, told him “there was a robbery, that two guys came in with shotguns, and that he shot one.”

Sergeant Heffernan said it was unclear whether shotguns were involved, saying only that each man who entered the store had some type of firearm and that the clerk and at least one of the men exchanged fire.

The clerk was alone at the store at the time of the robbery, police said.

James Jones, 45, a neighbor, said he was making a phone call when he heard gunshots sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m.

“I thought, ‘Someone is trying to rob somebody,’” said Mr. Jones, who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years. “I was afraid for my safety. If you live here, you’ve gotta be. And it’s getting worse.”

The robbery attempt was caught on a store video camera, and forensic experts were reviewing the tapes. Police did not release the video on Monday.

During the morning, about 30 people gathered outside the store, discussing the incident. The crowd fell silent when Lucas County Coroner’s office employees carried Allen’s body out of the store at 11:20 a.m. They then slowly dispersed by about 12:30 p.m.

Kenyata Ratliff, one of Allen’s 16 siblings, holds a picture of her brother, seated in the photo. ‘He is gone but he is not forgotten,’ she said. THE BLADE/LORI KING Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Allen leaves behind a large family that includes 16 siblings, 10 nephews, and three nieces, said Kenyata Ratliff, 29, a sister.

“He is gone but he is not forgotten,” Ms. Ratliff said. “He loved football. And he loved his nieces and nephews.”

Allen, who had felony convictions, had been released Oct. 7 from the Lucas County jail, where he was booked after being arrested and accused of disorderly conduct and failure to display a license plate, according to jail records.

He also was facing a felonious assault charge for allegedly shooting a girl in the hand during an altercation in June.

It was unclear whether the second man who entered the store was hit by a bullet or got away with any cash.

He was last seen running toward Stickney Avenue, said police, who noted that they do not have an identification of the man other than that he is black and was wearing a mask.

“It is scary,” Mr. Awwad said of the incident. “I don’t know what we can do more. We already have two police officers working part-time and we have a security camera.”

Mr. Awwad went on to say that he and his brother have owned the store since 2006 and until the fatal shooting occurred, they had experienced only minor security problems. He did not specify what those issues were.

Sergeant Heffernan said the area where the fatal shooting occurred is known as a “high-crime area” but that the store does not have a history of major police issues.

Contact Mike Sigov at: sigov@theblade.com or 419-0724-6089.

Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. If a comment violates these standards or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report abuse. To post comments, you must be a Facebook member. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.

Related stories